Your Word For Mine
by herheartbeat
Summary: Work, school, boys. These obstacles of life, Mimi and Sora find, can be made simpler with each others’ helping hand and company, all in heels and without breaking a sweat.
1. Prologue I

**Your Word for Mine**

Summary: Work, school, boys. These obstacles of life, Mimi and Sora find, can be made simpler with each others' helping hand and company, all in heels and without breaking a sweat.

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_Prologue I - My Name Is Mimi Tachikawa._

Okay, so maybe dancing wasn't my thing. Neither was horseback riding, figure skating, interior designing, painting, or accounting. And for that, my mother calls me indecisive, irresponsible, unmotivated and uncommited. But that's not my fault. It's my _style_.

But I found my calling this time. My mom claims its just another fad, another empty commitment. But it isn't, I swear. I swear I'll stick it through. I swear that this is it. I'm going to become a chef, and boost my culinary excellence to it's prime.

Call me crazy, but this is actually the first time I have ever felt so motivated. I know I said that when I took up computer graphic design, but this time I mean it. This is where my "Once upon a time.." comes in.

Well, once upon a time, there was a beautiful, loquacious and bright young woman named Mimi. That's me.

I know it seems like my mind is never on anything past my closet, but I'm actually _trying_, here. I wish my parents and aunts and uncles and grandparents and grandaunts and granduncles would stop poking at my side, telling me that I'll just crash and burn, crash and burn. What a support system.

I'm 20. I'm practically an adult. I can work, buy a house, buy a car, get married, have kids, cure cancer, race in the Tour de France, star in a movie, _whatever_. Who said I wasn't ready? I can choose to do whatever I want. I'm an adult.

But, I have to admit, my mind is still somewhere past 16 and before 18. I can't get married, I'm too fickle. I can't buy a house or a car, I'm too poor. I can't have kids, I'd probably end up accidentally killing them with kitchen utensils. I can't cure cancer, too hard, can't race in the Tour de France, too weak, and I can't star in a movie, because my head will grow big and the next thing you know, my soul will be sold to the devil, a.k.a. those mad movie writers and producers. But I can work on that now. I can enroll into the arts school in Tokyo and take up culinary arts, and I can find a job and move into my own apartment. That isn't too hard, right? I mean, it's not like I'll be there _alone._

Not only have I found _the_ perfect occupation, I have also found _the_ perfect boyfriend. And I'm not being hyperbolic. Really, I seriously think he is _the one_. My head-over-heels, over-the-moon, crazy-in-love relationship.

His name is Yamato Ishida. About 6 feet tall, pale skin, long blonde hair and blue eyes - yes, _those_ blue eyes. He plays the guitar. _The guitar_, for Christ's sake. Not only is he stylish, attractive, and gifted with a simply _amazing_ voice, but he has his own job, his own apartment in Tokyo, and his own car. And he isn't just lucky, let me tell you. I can tell you that my baby has worked painstakingly _hard _to get where he is. I am, to say the least, _proud_ but also very, very lucky.

The only problem was the distance. I lived in Odaiba whereas Yamato lived all the way in Tokyo. The car rides were painfully long, especially due to all this ridiculous traffic disease going around lately. The phone calls decreased tremendously, and I felt our relationship slipping like sand between my fingers.

See, the only time I'm successfully determined is when I'm about to lose something so dear to me. I remember when I had this white cat in 3rd grade, named Coco, and I remember my mother telling me I had to get rid of it, how Coco was stinking up the house and how it'd almost never would use it's litter box. So I forced my classmates at school to sign a petition, stating that Coco had the right to remain a member of our household, despite the fact that only a handful of my peers were even aware of Coco's existence. So Coco remained, and still remains, in our house, fat and white in her long, cashmere fur, about to die any moment now.

But hence, another reason for me to move to Tokyo. Yamato. My mother labeled it as a invalid reason and that I was turning into some lovesick fool. My mother, sometimes. Honestly.

This time, however, I vowed to her that I will be successful. And I begged. And I did all the house chores and begged some more. My mother, who was _clearly_ tired of my constant nagging, placed upon me an ultimatum. I can go forth to Tokyo where my destiny lay, but I can not return back home for another 2 years. Or, I could remain here where my mother & father, my relatives and my friends remained. Of course, I was appalled, calling my mother a brute and terribly unkind. How could she just place such a absurd decision on me? How could I choose between my destiny and my home?

Well, of course I chose to go to Tokyo. After my few moments of shock and disgust, I quickly gave my mother my answer and she nodded. Mission Tokyo was put into motion.

That week, I quit my minimum-wage job at Socks-R-Us, packed my belongings, and had 100 000 dollars of my parents money into my account. They told me that that was all they were giving me; that if I ran out of money, they didn't mind me living a few months of poverty anyhow, that it'd be good for my health. But I remained firm, stating that I'd be perfectly fine on my own. And with that, I bought a one-way ticket to Tokyo.

And now it's Mimi's turn to shine. I can see it now - Mimi Tachikawa, Employed. Educated. Home-owner. You can't get any better than that. But it can, however, descend incredibly..

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A/N And so it begins. I know this beginning chapter may seem short but it is only the 1st prologue (The second being in Sora's perspective), and it _will_ get much longer from here. Let's just pray to God that I don't lose motivation. 


	2. Prologue II

**Your Word For Mine**

Summary: Work, school, boys. The obstacles of life, Mimi and Sora find, can be made simpler with each others' helping hand and company, all in heels and without breaking a sweat.

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_Prologue ii - My Name is Sora Takenouchi_

Do you believe in fate? Falling into and out of destiny? The whole, "what ever comes, comes, what ever doesn't, doesn't." theory? I've learned, over the past twenty years on this earth, that believing in fate takes _a lot_ of patience. Days, months, years. I can guarantee you that fate does not happen with a wand and a flick of the wrist. For fate to work it's magic, you must endure painstaking years of waiting.

But I think fate has finally presented it's outline, it's blueprints, it's _plan_ for me. God is finally on my side.

I guess you can say that fate came to me as an epiphany. See, ever since I was a young child, I've loved the smell of dirt and getting your fingers into it, I've loved trudging up and down fields, kicking or throwing or catching balls in any way, shape or form. I hated dresses, I hated skirts and bows and I especially hated wearing them. I was your typical tomboy.

But as I grew older, well, lets just call it puberty. I started to think that pink wasn't as icky, that lace wasn't so archaic, and that running on a field and kicking around a ball seemed a lot less appealing. I learned to tolerate wearing skirts and then soon learned to enjoy it. I look forward to wearing dresses. I have drawers full of bows. Talk about a 180 transformation. But my tomboy roots, I guess, will always stay with me, seeing as how I still have wear that old soccer jersey and boy shorts once in a while.

Only recently did I realize that my life was about to reach it's roadblock. Life doesn't come with insurance. High school came to it's end two years ago and I'm sitting in my mother's flower shop, making flower arrangements. I mean, for Pete's sake, I can only make so many flower arrangements. I needed to go to school.

I've lived in Tokyo for years now. I know every nook and cranny of this city, I'll tell you that much. But the inspiration in this city lacks. I look at every window display and every billboard and feel nothing. I want to go to a small town where I heard the stars are absolutely spellbinding. Maybe then I'll realize what the spice in my life is and I can actually go to school.

Fashion came to me in a flash. My friend Koushiro Izumi gave me a tip. In a life-or-death situation, what's the first thing that would come to mind? It was obvious, family and friends. But, according to Koushiro, that doesn't really count. So I drew up nothing. After all, the closest life-or-death situation I've had was during kindergarden when I fell of the teeter-totter.

Ironically, fate presented that situation to me that very day. I was crossing the road to get to my apartment when a car reared towards me in top speed. I felt like a statue in it's car lights, wasn't sure whether I should run back or forth. And, at the last moment, the car came to a screeching halt, stopping only a few suffocated inches away.

Now, the first thing I thought was about my family and friends, of course, but on inanimate objects, it was, surprisingly, _clothes_. I thought, I'll never choose my prom dress, my wedding dress, my shoes to go with them.

So there it was. Fashion design. I know it came to me a bit straight forward and a bit too immediately, but hey, that's how destiny works. But it's all about more action, less talking. I could go on about how fashion is my calling, but, well, where would I be then?

When I approached my mother about this, she was, to say the least, ecstatic. This, basically, proves to me how much she wants me out of the house. Which reminds me, I forgot to mention, that it's practically a family tradition for the kids to move out when they reach the age of 20. That's translated into my mother's excuse to kick me out of the house.

And on the way, she tells me, maybe I could bring home a husband next time I visit her.

That's another thing about my mother. My mother, who never had a proper wedding, has planned mine years ahead. I, basically, have absolutely no say in this wedding stuff whatsoever. But, unfortunately for my mother, I will suffer the same fate as her, and never get married, for I am your typical boyfriend repeller.

See, I don't get it. I'm smart. I'm thin and fit, and I've been told almost frequently that I have a very appealing face. I don't smoke, I don't swear, and I have a nice personality. So what is it? What is it about me that makes me so incapable of finding a boyfriend?

But that's not only it. My other problem is not only finding a boyfriend, but keeping one. It's a disability. I finally find a descent guy, after months of hard work and labour, just so I could lose him the following week because I was too clingy, or too distant, or too proud or too modest. I mean, honestly, what the hell is it?

I had one steady boyfriend, however. One year. Now, making it to 3 weeks is already a shock on it's own, imagine making it to _one year_. Astonishing, really.

I met him during my freshman year in high school. I mean, girls just _loved _him. He had the long, blonde hair, the blue eyes, my God, he even had the _walk_, and I know you know exactly which walk I'm talking about. It's more of a strut, actually, with his hands deep in his pockets, his collar popped and his chin high up in the air, and his back in this slight slouch. God, girls adored that. I mean, half of the student body (meaning, the female half) wanted him. And I was no competition. I had short, lanky hair, a moderately pretty face, but nothing extraordinary. How could I compete with girls like Ana Tsuchiya or Chiyaki Sawada? I mean, these girls were tall, thin, busty. They were model like material.

I still don't know what it was about me that was able to attract him. Seriously, I didn't even _try_ to persue him. He just came to me, out of the blue, and just started, well, flirting with me. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't be able to tell flirting from simple conversation any day, but I'm pretty sure that was what he was doing. He kept calling me gorgeous, for God's sake. But he just came out with his feelings, told me he noticed me a looong while back and just couldn't stop thinking about me. Well, talk about forward.

But I couldn't let this opportunity slip. Someone _liked_ me. Someone _actually_ liked _me._ Not Ana or Chiyaki. ME! So of course I dove into this relationship without thinking, which was probably the best thing I've ever done. Because after that, we were just _in love_. I mean, it was real, raw, platonic love. Or at least I thought so, but I'm sure he felt it too.

So, for about a year, I was in perfect bliss. Girls hated me, guys wanted me, my head got a little big but that's alright, anyone who had the boyfriend like mine would have a big head too. It went on for quite a while, until luck turned it's back on me and I had to fend for myself. Because the next event to occur was the fact that he had to move to Odaiba.

I was hurt, depressed, overwhelmed. Where the hell was Odaiba anyways? And who would want to move there anyways? But he couldn't help it. His parents went through a terrible divorce and Yamato basically had no choice but to move there with his father.

All I remember now is the bitter departure. I was in tears and he just held me, promising me that his heart would always be with me.

I wonder now, almost 4 years later, if he's still in Odaiba, remembering his promise to me. Is his heart still mine? Does he still want me? Miss me?

I've learned to move on, really. I've learned to think more with my head rather than my heart. After all, my heart betrayed me that day and now I can only rely on my head to prevent me from pain. I'm only human.

So, all I have going for me now is my destiny to become a fashion designer, move into an apartment and get a job. I have to make something out of my life now rather than my memories. And I'm ready too. I'm ready to move forward rather than backwards and become someone, something.

After all, Sora Takenouchi doesn't cry anymore. No, she doesn't cry for anyone.

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A/N : I know that this prologue is a bit longer than Mimi's but I had to elaborate on the story a bit. Don't worry, characters like Yamato and Taichi and Jyou and the rest of the gang will make their appearance soon, now that I've actually begun this story. As for coupling, I know who exactly is going with who by the end of this story. And although I've revealed that Yamato is a good candidate, there are many more to reveal. Keep reading, and thanks so much to my first reviewers! It means a lot, and it keeps me going! Thanks! 


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